The Curtis Sister *REWRITING*

After The Pain

Ten years later.

Bunny POV

Today was the day that marked ten years since Johnny and I ran away, came back, had the rumble, and everything else that followed.

Today was the day I felt like the world was going to crash around me.

Today was the day that took me back to my sophomore year of high school when I felt like I wasn't going to make it anywhere besides a cemetery. I was twenty six now.

Kelly, Two-Bit, the twins and I lived right next to my childhood home that housed, Darry and Ashton and their kid. Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally and Steve all lived across the street with Charlie and Ali, Johnny and Steve's daughters.

I stood at the cemetery, my bleached blond hair whipping around my face as I stared down at my Ma and Pa's graves as I caught them up on this year, things were hard.

"The Vietnam War ended this year, just a few months ago, April 30th to be exact. Steve came back home to us," tears welled up in my eyes, "Soda didn't, not in one piece."

My heart thudded in my chest and I couldn't stop the tears from pouring down my cheeks as my heart ached. I finished up talking to my parents and left the cemetery, kissing my finger then pressing it against their tombstone before hand.

I started walking, it was the end of September so the air wasn't too cold but the wind was harsh and the leaves were just about to begin falling, it was nearing close to Soda and I's birthday.

Tulsa hadn't changed a lot, and even if it had, I didn't notice. The Greaser and Soc rival had died down just a little bit but there was still an occasional article about some soc or greaser in the paper.

"Hi Nancy, I'm here for Soda," I said stepping in to the hospital I knew a little too well. Nancy smiled sadly at me and nodded, "You are free to go back sweety."

I returned a smile and made my way to room 123, the room that held my twin brother.

It was quiet, expect for the sound of the radio playing a country station, and the sound of the machines that beeped and kept my brother alive.

Soda had been drafted to the Vietnam war as soon as we turned eighteen, Steve had been gone three months before Soda and they came back together last year and haven't been back out since.

It wasn't as happy as we all had wished. Steve hated talking about it and all we knew was their station had been bombed and not many soldiers made it back to the States alive or in one piece, and those soldiers included my brother.

There was a breathing tube down his throat along with a chest tube, an IV, another IV and multiple other machines and things hooked to his body. There was white gauze wrapped around his head and his wheat gold hair was about an inch long.

I had never gotten used to Soda's hair being short, I was used to it being long and greased back. I sat in the chair on his left and grabbed his hand. I couldn't look anywhere else but his hand, it was littered in scars but was soft, Soda's hands were always soft and I never understood it.

"Hey brother." I finally trusted myself enough to say, but even then my voice had still cracked.

I half expected to see Soda open his eyes, but I knew not to let myself get too excited. I didn't look anywhere else but his hand, looking up would only make me realize what he'd lost.

I lost track of how long I had been at the hospital, because when I left the sun was already beginning to set. I had decided to take the bus because the hospital was a lot farther than I had thought on the way here.